'Hudud move sets dangerous precedent where Umno decides for BN'

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said the government's move to allow PAS' Hudud Bill to be tabled in Parliament has set a dangerous precedent where Umno can decide for the coalition without consulting its BN partners.

Lim pointed out that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said, would not have moved a motion to prioritise the Hudud Bill without a directive from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"The prioritisation of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's hudud motion was a BN decision, as Azalina was a minister not of the Umno but of the BN government, and this is the first (and clearly not the last time) when Umno leaders would decide on behalf of the BN, with or without the consent or knowledge of the other parties in BN.

"As the cabinet meeting on Friday did not repudiate or reprimand Azalina’s action in Parliament to prioritise Hadi’s hudud motion, a dangerous precedent has been set establishing the hegemony of Umno in BN, where the other 12 component BN parties have just ornamental roles or value," he said in a statement today.

He added that Najib's willingness to give prioritise Hadi's Bill was an indication that the 14 non-Umno ministers in the 35-member Cabinet had no real role or value and were merely for ornamental value.

Lim further suggested that Najib would allow the Hudud Bill to go to the floor after being emboldened by BN's strong win in Sarawak.

"BN's overwhelming victory in the May 7 Sarawak state general election was the reason why Najib could give the green light to the PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to prioritise his Hudud Private Member’s Bill motion in Parliament on Thursday.

"Najib could act in disregard of the views of the other BN component parties and leaders apart from Umno because Najib believes that there is a swing-back of support of the Chinese voters to BN in the Sarawak state general election," he said.

Partial implementation

Lim noted that with the prioritisation of Hadi's Hudud Bill, it will be made the biggest issue in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections which will overshadow Najib's 1MDB scandal.

The bill is officially named the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

It is referred to as the "Hudud Bill" as it would ultimately pave the way for the partial implementation of the Islamic penal code, specifically in PAS-ruled Kelantan, which had already passed an enactment to that effect.

However, the Kelantan state's enactment cannot be implemented as long as restrictions exist that limit Syariah Court sentencing.

Under the enactment, punishments using the rotan ranges from 40 strokes to 100 strokes.

Hadi’s bill seeks to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355 which limits the Syariah Courts’ punishment to a maximum fine of RM5,000, three years' jail or six strokes of the rotan.-Mkini